Romanesque / Gothic

The term Romanesque, like many other stylistic designations, was not a term contemporary with the art it describes but an invention of modern scholarship to categorize a period. The term "Romanesque" attempts to link the architecture, especially, of the 11th and 12th centuries in medieval Europe to Roman Architecture based on similarities of forms and materials. Romanesque is characterized by a use of round or slightly pointed arches, barrel vaults, cruciform piers supporting vaults, and groin vaults. The great carved portals of 12th century church facades (see Church of St. Trophime) parallel the architectural novelty of the period-monumental stone sculpture seems reborn in the Romanesque.

Gothic architecture characterizes any of the styles of European architecture, particularly associated with cathedrals and other churches, in use throughout Europe during the high and late medieval period, from the 12th century onwards. It was succeeded by Renaissance architecture, a revival of Roman formulas, at varying times in Europe, beginning in Florence in the 15th century. A series of gothic revivals began in mid-18th century England, triumphed in the 19th century and continued, largely for ecclesiastical and university structures, into the 20th century.

The style emphasizes verticality and features almost skeletal stone structures with great expanses of glass, sharply pointed spires, cluster columns, flying buttresses, ribbed vaults, pointed arches using the ogee shape, and inventive sculptural detail. These features are all the consequence of a focus on large stained glass windows that allowed more light to enter than was possible with older styles. In order to achieve this, flying buttresses were used to enable higher ceilings and slender columns.

Gothic cathedrals could be highly decorated with statues on the outside and painting on the inside. Both usually told Biblical stories, emphasizing Old Testament prophecy and the New Testament (see Christian theology).

Front view of Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame
Chancel of Notre Dame de Paris
Gothic arch of Notre Dame de Paris
Gothic arch of Notre Dame de Paris
Colorful rosette of Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame
Chancel of Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame de Paris
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens Cathedral
Notre-Dame de Reims
Notre-Dame de Reims
Notre-Dame de Reims
Notre-Dame de Reims
Notre-Dame de Reims
Notre-Dame de Reims
Notre-Dame de Reims
The interior of the cathedral is 455 ft. long, 98 ft. wide in the nave, and 125 ft. high in the centre, and comprises a nave with aisles, transepts with aisles, a choir with double aisles, and an apse with ambulatory and radiating chapels.
Rose-window over the main portal of Notre-Dame de Reims
Notre-Dame de Reims
Notre-Dame de Reims
Notre-Dame de Reims
Notre-Dame de Reims
Notre-Dame de Reims
Notre-Dame de Reims
Notre-Dame de Reims
Notre-Dame de Reims
Notre-Dame de Reims
Notre-Dame de Reims
Romanesque architecture of the Worms cathedral
Romanesque architecture of the Worms cathedral
Gothic sanctuary of Cologne Cathedral
Opened Altar of the City Patrons in Cologne Cathedral. The painted winged altar is one of the most important works of the later gothic period.
Cologne Cathedral
Window of the Three Kings (1507/08) in Cologne Cathedral
Southern portals of Cologne Cathedral
Main portal of Cologne Cathedral
The so called Peters Portal of Cologne Cathedral. The portal was created between 1370 and 1380
The Grand Place (French: Grand'Place or Grand Place, Dutch: Grote Markt) is the central market square of Brussels. It is surrounded by guild houses, the city's spectacular Town Hall and the Breadhouse (Dutch: Broodhuis, French: Maison du Roi).
Maison du Roi or Broodhuis
The Town Hall (French: Hôtel de Ville, Dutch: Stadhuis) of Brusselsvon Brüssel was built between 1401 and 1421 by Jacob van Tienen.
Saint Michael and Gudula's Cathedral in Brussels
Cathédrale St. Michel et Gudule
The cathedral obtained its present shape in the course of more than a millennium. The core of the Aachen cathedral is the Palatine Chapel; being surprisingly small in comparison to the later additions, at the time of its construction it was the largest dome north of the Alps. Its fascinating architecture with Classical, Byzantine and Germanic-Franconian elements is the essence of a monumental building of great importance: for 600 years, from 936 to 1531, the Aachen cathedral was the church of coronation for 30 emperors of the Holy Roman Empire.
Aachen Cathedral
Mainz Cathedral
Bamberg Cathedral
Bamberg Cathedral
    
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